Report cards: Broncos not great, good enough vs. Bolts

Jan. 12, 2014
|

Denver Broncos receiver Julius Thomas (80) runs after a reception in the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers during the 2013 AFC divisional playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. / Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports

by Nate Davis, USA TODAY Sports

by Nate Davis, USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos held off a second-half surge from the San Diego Chargers in Saturday's 24-17 win to advance to the AFC Championship Game. Below are grades for each team.

Denver grades

Broncos run offense: Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball did exactly what Peyton Manning wanted, keeping the offense in phase with steady gains. The tailback duo combined for 134 yards (on 33 carries), a major reason Denver enjoyed an 11-minute time of possession advantage. Grade: B+

Broncos pass offense: No aerial pyrotechnics on this day as Manning guided a conservative, almost plodding attack. But it worked. The presumptive MVP's 230 yards and two TD passes were pedestrian by his lofty standards (his longest completion only went for 21 yards). Still, Denver racked up 26 first downs and played keep-away, turning the table on a Chargers team that employed a similar strategy when it won in this same stadium last month. Wes Welker caught six passes after a five-week hiatus following a second concussion. TE Julius Thomas struggled with a fumble and a drop before converting two huge third downs on Denver's clock-killing drive to end the game. The offensive line was stellar, surrendering zero sacks and just one hit on Manning. Grade: B+

Broncos run defense: Denver never let San Diego's runners get in gear, limited them to 65 yards on 18 carries and ultimately rendered the Bolts one-dimensional. Grade: A-

Broncos pass defense: They put on a show in the first half, limiting Philip Rivers to 20 passing yards while sacking him three times for 19 yards worth of losses. Yes, the Chargers had 1 net passing yard at halftime, and none of their wideouts had a catch through two quarters. Despite missing Von Miller, the Broncos did sack Rivers four times overall and forced the not-so-mobile vet from the pocket on other occasions. But San Diego picked up the pace after halftime and made a game of it as Rivers and Keenan Allen consistently attacked former San Diego corner Quentin Jammer, who was pressed into a starting role after Chris Harris went down. Grade: B

Broncos special teams: Denver never punted, a pretty good indication of how the Broncos played. Trindon Holliday and Eric Decker made some nifty returns, though Decker slipped on a 47-yard punt run-back, which probably should've produced a touchdown. Matt Prater missed just his second field goal of the season but was his usual reliable self on kickoffs. Grade: B

San Diego grades

Chargers run offense: Unproductive, yes, but Ryan Mathews' debilitating ankle injury was a big reason for that. At least he tried to help his team. Danny Woodhead also got banged up late in the game. Grade: C-

Chargers pass offense: If San Diego had managed just one nice drive in the first three quarters -- 180 of the Bolts' 259 yards came in the final period -- the outcome could have been significantly different. Allen caught six passes for 142 yards and both San Diego TDs, all of it coming in the second half. But Woodhead and TEs Antonio Gates and Ladarius Green, major assets to Rivers all season, contributed a collective seven receptions for 27 yards, not nearly good enough. The O-line did Rivers no favors, either. Grade: C

Chargers run defense: It bent too much and eventually broke. San Diego limited Denver's big plays but couldn't get off the field, allowing a 69% third-down conversion rate. Grade: D

Chargers pass defense: No heat on Manning, but not all bad, either. LB Donald Butler made a nice end-zone interception before the half to kill a Denver drive. The pass D also forced Thomas' first-half fumble, though no points came of it. It must be noted that injuries forced a lot of San Diego backups onto the field by game's end, but this crew didn't get scorched the way many of Manning's victims do. Grade: C+

Chargers special teams: Tough day. Prater's five touchbacks precluded any kickoff return chances. The San Diego defense precluded any punt return opportunities. The coverage units were spotty. Punter Mike Scifres appeared to injure his back, and Nick Novak slipped on the turf and missed a field goal after Thomas' second-quarter turnover. The highlight was Novak's perfectly executed onside kick, which San Diego recovered and parlayed into a field goal that cut the lead to 24-17 with just under four minutes left. But Denver never gave the ball back after that. Grade: C-